Camp insider: Texans RB Brown having strong camp

Published 5:30 am, Wednesday, August 5, 2009

Texans running back Chris Brown, middle, competing for the backup spot behind Steve Slaton, has impressed coaches during the first week of camp.

Texans running back Chris Brown, middle, competing for the backup spot behind Steve Slaton, has impressed coaches during the first week of camp.

Photo: Brett Coomer, Chronicle

Camp insider: Texans RB Brown having strong camp

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Running back Chris Brown is having an outstanding camp. He’s making excellent cutbacks, and he doesn’t stop running until he reaches the end zone.

Brown (6-3, 234) made an tremendous run in the morning practice by cutting back, exploding through the hole, and outrunning free safety Brandon Harrison down the sideline for a 40-yard touchdown. In a two-minute drill, Brown had a 60-yard touchdown run. - JOHN McCLAIN

BROWN AND OUT: Strong safety Nick Ferguson, who played well when paired with free safety Eugene Wilson over the second half of last season, made a terrific play on running back Chris Brown in the morning practice. Brown cut to his right once he broke through the line, but Ferguson was there to greet him hard enough that both went down. - JOHN McCLAIN

JUNE STRIPS MOATS: Outside linebacker Cato June, who earned a Super Bowl ring with Indianapolis and played with Tampa Bay last season, made an exceptional play in the morning practice by stripping the ball from running back Ryan Moats. The defense was terrible at taking away the ball last season and must improve in that area if it’s going to improve overall. - JOHN McCLAIN

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GOOD HANDS MAN: Two years ago, in his first camp with the Texans, receiver Andre Davis impressed everyone in camp by making just about every catch. Now he’s up to his old tricks.

While most people watch Andre Johnson, Kevin Walter and Owen Daniels, Davis has been putting on a show. He’s made diving catches and leaping catches, and it hasn’t mattered who has been covering him.

Unfortunately, his best catch might have been the one in the end zone Tuesday in which he came down with the ball and Jacques Reeves suffered a fractured fibula. - JOHN McCLAIN

OKAM MOVES UP: Second-year defensive tackle Frank Okam got some practice time with the first team Wednesday. Okam played next to Amobi Okoye. If Okam improves, he could help the line immensely. He’s still got a long, long way to go. - JOHN McCLAIN

HILL RETURNS: Rookie tight end Anthony Hill (6-6, 269) was on crutches Tuesday but was back on the field Wednesday.

Hill, who grew up in Houston and played at North Carolina State before the Texans selected him in the fourth round, had been bothered by a hamstring injury. He was on crutches because of a sore foot. In practice, he looked healthy as can be. - JOHN McCLAIN

His father, Eugene Wilson Sr., has been watching his son go up against the Texans’ receivers during several practices. The elder Wilson should be happy because his son has been doing well since camp began. Still, he doesn’t stop critiquing his son’s performance during each of his reps. - ANNA-MEGAN RALEY

CASEY GOES DOWN: The defense continued its abuse of rookie tight end James Casey.

Safety Troy Nolan, a seventh-round pick from Arizona State, had a tough hit to prevent Casey from catching a pass over the middle. Casey had been catching everything in sight.

Slow to get up, Casey limped away in pain and didn’t return. After practice, Casey revealed a swollen lower calf but had no complaints. - JORDAN GODWIN

BIG DAY FOR BENNETT: In the first practice without injured cornerback Jacques Reeves, Fred Bennett stepped up in a big way as the main cornerback.

Bennett batted down balls all over the field and led the secondary in a terrific day of coverage. Working opposite Bennett were rookie corners Brice McCain and Glover Quin. - JORDAN GODWIN

BROWN PERFECT AS ALWAYS: During kicking practice, special teams coach Joe Marciano made an effort to get into kicker Kris Brown’s head.

Marciano stood close to Brown and tried to distract him. Marciano tried everything, including taunting. Naturally, it didn’t work. Brown is one of the best clutch kickers in the league, and it’s hard to imagine his coach distracting him. But Brown was perfect from 40 yards out.

CALDWELL GETS MORE REPS: With the injured Chris Myers wearing a boot on his left foot, rookie Antoine Caldwell got more reps in practice at center.

Chris White played with the first team while Caldwell, the third-round pick from Alabama, continued to back up at center and right guard. Myers’ absence means more reps in practice and more playing time in preseason games.

During a break, Myers walked with Caldwell, giving him pointers on blocking. Myers may be out, but he's still making an impact on his team. - JORDAN GODWIN

CUSHING GETS TO SCHAUB: Rookie linebacker Brian Cushing, the first-round pick from Southern California, broke through the line on a blitz, getting Matt Schaub, who knew he would have been sacked if quarterbacks were allowed to be hit.

If Cushing shows that ability to blitz in his first season, he'll be a crucial element to the Texans’ defense overall and pass rush in particular. - JORDAN GODWIN

MOATS STEPS UP: Veteran running back Ryan Moats, who played well near the end of last season as the backup to Steve Slaton, made a spectacular one-handed catch during the morning practice.

He’s competing for playing time behind Slaton with veteran Chris Brown and rookies Arian Foster and Jeremiah Johnson. As much as the Texans threw to Slaton last season, good hands are an asset to the running backs. - JORDAN GODWIN